Maybe he's got a fucking point.

[khaosworks]

What's Wrong With Swearing?

Swearing Imposes a Personal Penalty
It gives a bad impression
It makes you unpleasant to be with
It endangers your relationships
It's a tool for whiners and complainers
It reduces respect people have for you
It shows you don't have control
It's a sign of a bad attitude
It discloses a lack of character
It's immature
It reflects ignorance
It sets a bad example

Swearing is Bad for Society
It contributes to the decline of civility
It represents the dumbing down of America
It offends more people than you think
It makes others uncomfortable
It is disrespectful of others
It turns discussions into arguments
It can be a sign of hostility
It can lead to violence

Swearing corrupts the English language
It's abrasive, lazy language
It doesn't communicate clearly
It neglects more meaningful words
It lacks imagination
It has lost its effectiveness

Comments

[kyttn.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, personally I agree with all this, but then I am known to be a bit of a prude. I don't like casual cursing, never have, and rarely curse myself. If I'm cursing it is a good sign I feel like my person world is in real trouble. Admittedly I do it more than I like, there are times that the words just slip out, and I have to apologize for them. I know that I tend to not respect people who curse a lot as much as people who don't curse or who reserve it for extreme situations. Or course, where I live, the cursers are usually the less intelligent, less imaginative people, and very often drunks, drug users, and generally folks I wouldn't want to hang out with anyway. People who curse casually often get lumped in my mind with those folks.

I'm such a stuck-up prude at times.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I'm such a stuck-up prude at times.

We all are. Did you see my rant about young men in urban fashions the other day? :)

Sometimes I curse. But I try not to let it be a substitute for eloquence or for maintaining a good-sized vocabulary. Calling someone a 'coprophage' often has more impact than calling them a 'shit-eater' just because the first is one big word. ;)

A.

[pickledginger.livejournal.com]

And Samuel Clemens was able to excoriate very effectively indeed, without stooping to less-explicit four-letter insults.

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

I dunno, phrases like 'coprophage' and 'cranio-rectal inversion' (which appears to be far too trendy right now) always struck me as mildly irritating.... Not as bad as actual cursing, but something I try to avoid.

Personally, I tend to favor substitute-curses along the lines of 'twinkie-headed barbarian,' 'rutabaga,' and 'snurfleglurp,' but that's just me. :)

[surrdave.livejournal.com]

Hey, I love this. A friend always said that swearing is a failure, but this is a bit more thorough. Thanks.

[owlrigh.livejournal.com]

*cough* I swear a lot, and not only in the typical-Australian away. It's gotten worse of late, too! Aiii.

[dawn-again.livejournal.com]

well, fuck...

*runs off to write a rebuttal*

Maybe he's got a fucking point?

[otherdeb.livejournal.com]

Although I agree with most of this, I do disagree with some of the stuff in the last section:

Swearing corrupts the English language
It's abrasive, lazy language
It doesn't communicate clearly
It neglects more meaningful words
It lacks imagination
It has lost its effectiveness

I was going to say I agreed with the last item, and part of the first one (that it's abrasive), but looking at it I find that in most cases I agree with the last item, especially when there is no tonal emphasis to distinguish it from the rest of the utterance.

But I still disagree that it is lazy.